Opposition parties will submit a petition to President Ram Nath Kovind, urging him to intervene and ensure further investigation into the mysterious death of Central Bureau of Investigation Judge Brijgopal Harkishan Loya (pictured above), ANI reported.
When Loya died in December 2014, he was hearing a case about the extrajudicial murder by the Gujarat Police of alleged extortionist Sohrabuddin Sheikh. Amit Shah, now the Bharatiya Janata Party president and then the Gujarat home minister, was among the accused in the case.
Several parliamentarians have signed a three-page letter to the president, unidentified leaders told The Indian Express. The letter talks about the suspicions over Loya’s death and the need for an independent investigation into it, said media reports.
The Congress party initiated the petition and over 100 MPs have signed it according to The Hindu. “The government is eager to brush the incident under the carpet,” a senior Opposition leader told the daily. “The president of the republic is the highest authority, so we decided to knock at his door.” Reports differ on when the leaders will submit the petition to Kovind.
A Supreme Court bench, comprising Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanvilkar and DY Chandrachud, is currently hearing petitions demanding an independent investigation into Loya’s death. In November, the Caravan magazine made some startling revelations that raised doubts on whether Loya’s death was natural.
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